How to make a Nacho Bar (2024)

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Follow my easy guide for the ultimate Nacho Bar. It’s a perfect idea for a Super Bowl party! Your guests can customize their nacho plate to their tastes.

If you love to entertain, then you know the crockpot is your best friend. We also make a Mashed Potato Bar and Grape Jelly Meatballs when entertaining.

Why have a nacho bar

Any type of get-together deserves a nacho bar! Graduation, birthday party, Super Bowl, or really any game day celebration is the perfect occasion for a nacho bar party. Nothing is better, really! Your guests can return for as many servings as they want throughout the party.

A Nacho bar also an economical way to feed a crowd. You ask guests to bring certain toppings, chips, and even the drinks.

Nacho Bar Toppings

Here are the best and classic toppings for a nacho bar!

• Tortilla Chips – I buy a few bag of tortilla chips, you do not want to run out of chips and besides you can use any extra chips up for other recipes in the month.
• Taco Meat – I usually make 2 pounds of ground beef for my nacho bars; if you expect many more guests, just add a pound or two more of ground beef. If you have extra time, you can cook the taco meat right in the slow cooker. Here is my slow cooker taco meat recipe. Ground turkey is wonderful too.
• Nacho Cheese – I make a simple nacho cheese sauce that consists of Velveeta cheese, milk, and hot sauce. Or instead, you can buy canned nacho cheese (try walmart for a giant can of nacho cheese), or buy a few jars of salsa con queso that is located on the chip aisle.
• Black Beans (cold) – Have you ever had nachos at a bar? Often, they use black beans instead of refried beans! It makes the nachos less sloppy and you can really taste all the other toppings. Canned pinto beans work the same way here.
• Salsa – I like to pick up a container of salsa from my local Mexican restaurant; if I don’t have time, I buy refrigerated style salsa, for it has less of a vinegar flavor and a good salsa will elevate your nacho bar.
• Tomatoes – Just need a few diced tomatoes for those who love them.
• Green Onions – Remember back in the day when taco bell used to put green onions on nachos? There’s nothing like that flavor! Don’t skip these.
• Jalapenos – I buy jarred sliced jalapenos; it’s a classic nacho topping. You can also finely dice 3-4 fresh jalapenos!
• Guacamole – I make a simple guacamole (recipe below). But nowadays, you can find really good store-bought guacamole! You can always pass this task on a guest that is wanting to contribute.
• Olives – Yes, I know olives aren’t usually in authentic Mexican food, but they are a great flavor option and the kids will love them.
• Sour cream – Most everyone LOVES sour cream. You can buy a tub of sour cream or buy the squeeze container.
• Hot Sauces – Gather your favorite hot sauces from your cabinets; we love Tapatio, Valentina, and Tabasco!
• Other Topping Ideas –
  • Add another crockpot and heat up canned chili, or canned refried beans or make my slow cooker refried beans recipe.
  • Other options are: chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion and pico de Gallo.
• Other meat options: Copycat Chiptole Barbacoa, Slow Cooker Chile Verde, and Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken.

How to set up a nacho bar

• Decorate the table to your theme! Have a casual party with a Mexican theme; use a Mexican table runner, and serve Jarritos sodas to drink. Or decorate the table with football-themed items, such as a football-shaped bowl for the chips and a football-shaped crockpot for the meat!
• Have all the items in line in order. I start at the left with the paper plate or paper trays, then chips, nacho cheese, ground beef, and nacho toppings. At the end of the nacho bar, you can add beverages and hot sauces. You can get the paper trays at restaurant supply store or Amazon, but I have seen them at Costco, too.
• You can add the napkins and forks at the beginning or end of the line. I tend to add them at the beginning.
• Make this a taco bar by adding small flour tortillas and wamred crunchy taco shells for your guests to fill.
• For a stress-free party, assemble all the nacho toppings on a tray, cover it in plastic wrap, place the entire tray in the fridge, and pull it out right before your guests arrive.

Nacho Bar FAQs

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